The Phoenix Suns made a great decision in the 2025 NBA draft when they traded the 22nd pick for the 28th pick. They selected Ryan Dunn and got more capital. That led the Suns to trade back up in the second round to select Oso Ighodaro. The Suns viewed both selections as good picks, even if the fans did not know much about either.
Coming out of college, Dunn was a defensive wing, not known for creating his shot, and a three that great. Oso was an undersized big player, and he would have to find out what position he would be in the NBA. Both of these picks for the Suns were successes, and Dunn impressed with his three-point shooting in the preseason and summer leagues. The Suns rookie has seen sporadic playing time all season, even though he is the exact role they are missing.
Suns Rookie Ryan Dunn Has Vanished From the Rotation
Dunn’s Value
Ryan Dunn, at 6-foot-8, is absolutely a menace for the Suns defensively. Last season at Virginia, he averaged 2.3 blocks per game, ranking him 16th in the country and leading him to the ACC All-Defensive Team. In addition to his shot-blocking ability, his defensive presence is felt when he is out there. He hustles and gives it all on that side of the ball.
Offensively, he was not viewed as the best scorer or shot-creator when he came out of college. That all changed when he was seen in the preseason and summer league. Dunn shocked the eyes of many with his three-point shooting ability. His most notable performance was when he shot 6/11 from three and got 20 points with three blocks vs the Denver Nuggets in the preseason. He has cooled down since then but can still create his own shot at the NBA level. Overall in 51 games (28 starts) Dunn is averaging, 6.3 points, and 3.2 rebounds, while shooting 43.8% from the field this year and 30.6% from three. Dunn can be impactful on both ends if given the playing time.
Where is Ryan Dunn?
After hearing all of these positives about Dunn, you would think he would be starting, right? Well, you thought wrong, partially. Let me explain, to start the season, the Suns had Dunn coming off the bench, which made sense. Then they got injured, and Dunn saw some increased playing time. This made fans feel confident in his role, and Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic were benched. We thought Dunn was then in the starting lineup for the foreseeable future. He was the missing defense in the starting lineup, and even if he made mistakes, he brought a different look to the lineup. With the failure to trade for Jimmy Butler, Dunn would be one of the more impactful defenders on the roster.
Unfortunately for Suns fans, Dunn has now disappeared from the lineup. Since getting an ankle injury vs. the Washington Wizards, he has been restricted in the lineup. Since his injury, the most minutes he has received are 20, which is befuddling, with the Suns’ defense being as atrocious as it is, this is only hindering it.
When discussing the playing time of Ryan Dunn, head coach Mike Budenholzer has had some differing answers. At first, it was “because Ryan Dunn was still injured.” Yet that was not the case, as we saw Dunn have an impressive game in the Rising Stars competition at All-Star Weekend. Dunn was seen as impactful for his team, and they could move on to the actual All-Star game. Dunn’s team lost to Shaq’s OGs in this game but was still solid playing against teammate Kevin Durant. In 10 minutes, he got eight points with a three, a steal, and two rebounds. That, to me, does not say he is “hurt”.
Suns Defensive Flaws
Now, has Dunn been perfect for this team? No, but who expects a late first-round rookie to be perfect? The fact that he has hit these expectations has made fans outcry over his low playing time. In a recent loss to the San Antonino Spurs, fans were outraged that Dunn saw only 20 seconds of playing time when they were getting scored on all night.
In another recent game, we saw the Toronto Raptors slice up this Suns team. The Suns look like they may have the worst transition defense in NBA history. The fact that not only their offense has been stagnant, but the defense is atrocious is a recipe for disaster. Now, Dunn, in last night’s game, was able to get seven minutes in which he was a non-factor offensively. Defensively, he is always going to make an impact because the Suns’ defense is so bad.
The Last Word
Given his value on both ends of the floor why Dunn does not receive 25 minutes or get back into the starting lineup puzzles me. With coach Bud having questionable rotations all season, it is not Dunn’s fault. The Suns rookie has been impressive so far this year, and he deserves more opportunity, especially as the Suns lack young talent.
Photo credit: © Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
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